


I understand

by Dibs4Ever



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 17:10:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19772728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dibs4Ever/pseuds/Dibs4Ever
Summary: Young Bruce Wayne visits Dick Grayson at the orphanage the day after his parents murders and realizes he can’t leave him there.





	I understand

24 year old Bruce Wayne approached the tall dark, rotting, orphanage building . He was wearing one of his best suits as he stood in the walkway, waiting for some help. He rang the bell 3 separate times before someone finally came. 

A woman probably in her mid 50’s “Yeah , yeah what do you want. We don’t take no babies.-“   
She stopped when she realized it was Bruce Wayne. “Why Mr.Wayne how may I help you?”

Bruce nodded “I’m here about a boy” he began

She looked at him “You’re interested in adopting?”

Quickly Bruce shook his head “No, no. I just . He was brought here last night. About 7 years old. He umm witnessed something terrible. I witnessed it and was wondering if maybe I could just come by now and then and talk to him. Be a mentor of sorts” he tried to explain

The woman nodded “I believe I know which child you are speaking of. Richard 8, came from the circus. His parents-“

Bruce nodded cutting her off “Yes that would be him. May I speak to him?”

The woman grabbed a ring of keys from the wall and waved “This way” she unlocked a door, Bruce followed her down a long hallway. The floors where white, but stained, the walls were a gray concrete. She opened another door, the same gray concrete walls, white tile floors. With at least 20 beds lining the room. All the beds identical-single white metal frames with thin mattresses and pillows and brown wool blankets. She pointed all the way to the end “The boy is there”

The room was empty besides a small dark haired boy who was sitting at the edge of the bed, his face in his hands.

“Where are the rest of the boys?” Bruce asked

“Choirs .” The woman said “It’s his first day so he gets a break for today, tomorrow he will be out there with the others. Every day they clean, then it’s into the city where they are each assigned a task to either make some money or buy things for here.”

Bruce furrowed his eyebrows “What about school?”

The woman shook her head “Mr.Wayne this is an orphanage for older children. Ages 8-18. They have extremely low chances of ever being adopted. Our goal is not to educate but to give them real world experiences...toughen them up if you will, so that they are able to be on their own when we are no longer responsible. The boy is 8 years old. He needs to get over it, man up and move on” she nodded

Bruce didn’t respond

“I’ll just leave you two,I’ll warn you he hasn’t said a word since he got here” she spoke before leaving

Slowly Bruce approaches the bed. “Umm hey there” he said softly

The boy looked up, Bruce was taken back by his striking blue eyes. He was a beautiful child.

“My name is Bruce Wayne” Bruce sat beside him

Richard didn’t look up “You another cop here to talk to me about my Mama & Papa? Cause I don’t wanna talk about it.” He sniffed

Bruce shook his head “No”

“Are you a Church man?” Richard asked still not looking up

“You mean a priest?” Bruce shook his head “No I’m not one of them either, I’m just someone who was at the circus last night and I wanted to check in on you “

Richard was silent for a moment “Mama and Papa are dead. I killed them”

Bruce moved closer “Boy don’t say that I saw what happens, you did nothing wrong”

He shook his head “Did nothing right neither, could’ve saved them.” He sniffed

“And how do you think you could have done that. I saw what happened. There was absolutely nothing anyone especially you could have done” hesitantly he rested a hand on the boys back. At the touch the boy fell into his arms clinging onto Bruce as if he was his means of life. Bruce didn’t know what came over him but he pulled the boy closer to him almost cradling him in his lap as he allowed him to cry all that he needed to   
“The nurse said your name is Richard?” Bruce asked as the crying began to subside

The boy shrugged “Well I prefer to be called Dick. ‘‘Tis What Papa called me, but they didn’t ask”

Bruce nodded “Well Dick I want you to know I went through something similar.”

Dick moved to look at him questionably, his cheeks still wet

“My parents died when I was child. They actually were murdered right in front of me as well” Bruce explained

Dick’s mouth fell slightly agape “You know how I feel” he said softly “You know. “

Bruce nodded “That’s why I wanted to come by. I figured I could come by once a week and we could talk perhaps”

The small amount of light that had rose on Dicks face faded upon Bruce’s reminder that he would leave and he would remain in the orphanage . Probably for the remainder of his childhood.

Dick nodded “That’s nice sir”

Bruce smiled “Do you want to talk?”

Dick shook his head “Not now, maybe next time you come” his head lowered again

Bruce nodded “Well I’ll be going then. But I promise I’ll be back next week okay?” He stood

Dick nodded 

As Bruce walked out of the orphanage he kept getting flashbacks of his childhood growing up without his parents, then his mind would wonder back to Dick’s face . 

Before he even made it to his car his mind was made up. But by law the orphanage wouldn’t give him a child without a GCPD approved home check. So he began dialing someone who could help with that

The phone only rang a few times before he picked up “Hey Jim, it’s Bruce. You know how you said if I ever needed a favor I could call you? Well I was hoping you could help me.”

Jim was there within an hour, with documents saying Bruce had their aproval to adopt a child. 

30 minutes later Bruce and Jim were walking out the door with Dick between them. 

”Wow, Mr.Wayne! Is that your car!” Dick exclaimed running towards the black Bentley 

Bruce chuckled ”Yes it is.”

”WOW, I've never owned a car before.” Dick paused ”Not that I do now but-” 

Bruce nodded ”I'm gonna talk to Jim for a minute, why don't you check it out?” he handed him the keys. They watched for a moment as Dick went to unlock the car.

”Do You know what your getting yourself into?” Jim asked

Bruce shrugged ”I couldn't leave him here Jim. Our stories they're too similar, I could help him through my mistakes.”

Jim nodded ”I understand that but, he’s not like a puppy you can get rid of when you get tired of him. In the eyes of the law you are technically his father.”

“What?” Dick’s voice piped up having overheard from the windows he rolled down in the car

Bruce shook his head “On paper, I would never-I’ll never ask you to call me that. I could never be that okay?”

Dick nodded and went back to exploring the car. 

Jim nodded “I have no doubt you can do this Bruce, it’s just. I’m older than you and have a hard enough time with Barbara on my own and she’s the same age as Dick.” 

Bruce shrugged “Maybe him and your kid can be friends.” 

“Jim chuckled “I don’t know Barb is hard to get along with. But we can introduce them and see what happens”

“Alfred’s in for a shock when I get home. I told him I was just coming to to talk to Dick. Here I am bringing him home pertinently. I guess I’ll just have to assure them that Dick will be the only kid I ever do this with huh?”

Jim nodded “He’s definitely going to be surprised”


End file.
